No Longer Alone
by SparkleForeverUSA
Summary: During a rare instance of respite, Princesses Celestia and Luna spend quality sister bonding time together exploring the wintery wilderness behind Canterlot Mountain. What Luna thought was going to be a simple outing turns into something else entirely as Celestia emerges from the forest… Set between Seasons 3 and 4.
1. Chapter 1

Snow crunched beneath her boots and bone numbing wind tore through her starry mane. Princess Luna stopped for a moment on the mountainside, hunched over and squinting against the blinding scenery before her. Jagged mountain peaks to her right stretched toward the bright blue sky, obscured by some clouds. The sun shone harshly above her, yet she felt no warmth from its rays. A coldness had settled deep into her chest. The Moon was closer to the Sun now than she had been in ages, yet they were still so far apart.

_Will things ever go back to the way they were?_ Luna sighed, bowing her head.

Down below her, a valley housed countless snow dusted pine trees. A frozen river glinted in the light, weaving itself through the forest. A small clearing to the left caught Luna's eye. She checked her matching winter attire, tugging her hat securely into place. Icy air filled her lungs then Luna leapt off the mountainside, fanning her large, bat-like wings. A strong air current took her by surprise, pushing her toward the mountain's rocky face. She growled, blinking snow from her eyes. Wings beating hard and fast, Luna forged on. The wind changed and was now at her back. She sailed toward the clearing.

Luna alighted in the shade near the forest's edge, eyes relaxing. The air was still, only Luna's frosty breath breaking the silence. The snow was littered with animal tracks and tall grass poked through its banks. The clearing was peaceful. _Boring. _Luna's eye twitched.

_Where in Equestria is Celestia?_ Luna wondered. She had not been alone in coming here. In truth, the diarchical sisters had come to explore this vast wilderness during a rare instance of respite from their royal duties.

_How had Celestia put it? _Luna snorted. _Oh, yes. Long overdue sister bonding time. _

The long overdue part was an understatement. Luna could recall only a few instances where they had spent time together after assuming the throne, times when the crown had been light upon their brows. Each instance occurred years prior to Luna's banishment. With Luna ruling the night and Celestia the day, there was very little overlap in their schedules where they saw each other, and less time still when they were not actively serving the little ponies of Equestria. Even after Luna was once again in the kingdom's good graces, there had not been time for the sisters to reconnect and discuss the past. Luna didn't feel ready to open up to Celestia about the time during her banishment, to share her burden… She wasn't sure she ever would.

_I certainly don't deserve to, I am a traitor through and throu-"_No!" Luna interrupted her train of thought aloud. "Stop right there! These thoughts are demeaning and unproductive, and I shall not be reduced to a sniveling mess out here in the wilderness."

Luna nodded definitively, and with practiced ease reigned in the guilt and self-doubt; there would be time to evaluate these thoughts when she was alone and shrouded by the darkness of her Night. Luna pawed at the ground, idly noting that the powdery surface concealed compacted snow underneath. Her eyes widened slightly, a smile brightening her face. For the moment, the shadows of her mind melted away. Luna had thought of a way to make this trip memorable.

_How delightful! _Luna thought. _Now if only I could find Celestia._

How had they gotten separated? Luna paused for a moment. _That's right. Of course, she just had to be stubborn. 'No, Luna, I don't want to scale the mountainside' and the like. _Quite foalishly, Luna had jumped ahead and taken off from Canterlot without her. The heat rising in her face was definitely from the cold.

Luna briefly closed her eyes, summoning the vast, untapped magic within her. Opening her eyes she began to weave a spell, one that would allow her to send a telepathic message to her sister. Her horn glowed a familiar turquoise, the same color as her eyes. As soon as the spell was complete, Luna knew Celestia received her message. She had very little time to prepare.

…**.**

Celestia was coming; Luna could feel it. An alicorn as ancient and powerful as her sister was hard to miss, even without a visual. The power required to move a heavenly body such as the sun rivaled all of Equestria's unicorns combined. The very magical aura of the Sun Alicorn could be felt for miles around, if one knew how to look for it.

It was the moment that Luna had been waiting for. She smirked, legs splayed wide and magic at the ready. On either side of her, piles of snowballs lie ready for use. A cloaking spell hid her and the snowballs from sight. She was ready.

…**.**

Time dragged on. A bird's shriek pierced the silence. Movement in the sky attracted Luna's attention; it was just a speck of a pegasus flying over Canterlot Mountain. Luna's joints were stiff with cold and her ears had long since gone numb. She shuddered as a strong breeze cut through her thick navy fur.

"WE HAVE HAD ENOUGH!" The Royal Canterlot voice burst forth from Luna's lips, cracking like thunder throughout the valley. A muted groan responded and gradually grew in volume. Luna crouched down, ears pinned back and eyes wide open gazing up at the mountains. Winter had hit the mountainous area hard, burdening the landscape with excessive snow. Suttle cracks formed in the mountains' white covering and the snow began to shift. At that very moment, a golden light much like the sun lit up the end of the clearing. A whisper of magic nagged at Luna's consciousness and tore her attention away from the sky. As she looked away, the groaning ceased. The snow loomed above her, awaiting another outburst. The valley was safe… for now.

Straightening up, Luna squinted at the light. _Is it… coming closer? _She wondered.

Luna's jaw dropped. The blinding light dimmed and Celestia appeared before her, light laughter filling the air. The golden aura surrounded her and made Celestia's pure white coat glow radiantly. Her multicolored mane rippled and swayed with the breeze and Celestia's eyes sparkled as she gazed in Luna's direction.

"Sister, there you are! Where have you been? I've been searching everywhere for you," Celestia's deep tone resonated.

Luna stood still for a moment. _She's looking straight at me, _she thought. _How does she know exactly where I am?_

Luna dared not breathe, only risking a glance to verify that she indeed was not part of the visible silence stretched on. Finally, Celestia's smile dropped and her eyebrows drew together. She began looking around the clearing and called, "Luna?" She took a few steps toward where Luna stood cloaked and slightly pouted, muttering, "-could've sworn she was right here-" Luna chose that exact moment to attack.

Luna dropped the cloaking spell and leapt toward her, fangs glinting in the light. Scores of snowballs hung suspended in the air, Luna's magical aura surrounding them; they began to rain down. None of them made contact. Celestia smiled again and knickered softly into her mane. Luna glared at her.

They were closer together now. The snowballs never made it past Celestia's golden aura-_more like a shield_, Luna amended- and now they were slowly sliding down the dome's sides. Luna sharpened her gaze, noting the water dripping inside the shield, originating from the snowballs- "Is that a snowball shield?"

Celestia laughed loudly, wiping tears from her eyes with a feathered wing. "Of course not, Luna. Why in Equestria would I summon a shield just for snowballs?"

Luna sputtered, then replied, "Then why is it letting water pass through but not snow, if it is a regular shield?"

Celestia paused for a moment, brows drawn together. "I never said it was a shield. You of all ponies should know what it is. I call it my celestial aura and it protects me from the cold every winter. It is kind of like a terrarium, which keeps the warmth in and the cold out. Or is that moisture?" Celestia pursed her lips and hummed. "Poor metaphor aside, you look a little chilled, Luna. Would you like to join me?"

Luna raised an eyebrow incredulously. "So you're a plant now, huh?" She quickly deflected the question. There was no way she would be swayed by the promise of warmth. Luna shot a quick glance above her sister. Most of the snowballs remained frozen in the air, awaiting her command. Luna needed to keep Celestia talking, figure out a way around her shield_. For a shield it must be, _Luna thought. _Otherwise, the snowballs would have fallen right through_. The snowballs blinked out of sight along with her magical aura.

"Well, if I'm a plant, then you are an icicle!" Celestia laughed.

Luna snorted. She opened her mouth to respond but snapped it shut as she glanced at Celestia's hooves. Her _bare_ hooves were partially submerged in a puddle of water-_no, a puddle of melted snow, _Luna corrected stubbornly_-_ surrounded by mud and grass. The longer Celestia stood in one place, the more snow melted around her. There was a narrow path stretching behind Celestia and something golden sparkled near her. _Perfect! A diversion_. "Yes, yes, very funny. Now let's move on to a more important topic." Celestia stopped laughing and scrunched her nose. Luna continued, "Is that one of your horseshoes over there, _in the mud,_ Celestia? And where are your other ones?"

Celestia glanced behind herself, chuckling. "Oh Luna, why are you worrying about that? The ground under my bare hooves feels marvelous. Besides, I have another set at the castle."

Luna didn't miss the tinge of pink on Celestia's ears. "You ruined them, didn't you?"

Celestia spun around, eyes wide and mouth gaping. "No! That is to say-I mean, uh… In a way, yes." She cast her eyes down. "How'd you know?"

Luna was silent for a moment, surprise flickering across her face. She lightly cleared her throat. "Oh, what is that phrase ponies use nowadays? Ah, yes, sister's intuition! I admit it would have been hard to spot, what with your poker face and nonchalant attitude. Luckily for you, I happen to have more intuition than your average pony. You can't save face with me around!" Celestia barked out a laugh. Luna mercilessly barrelled on, "Sooo, how did you ruin your royal horseshoes?" Her sister sighed.

_This is going exceedingly well, _Luna thought. _It feels so good to jest and tease! This shall be a memorable trip yet! I must thoroughly divert her._ A plan began to form, and Luna allowed herself a small smile.


	2. Chapter 2

"No wonder you lost your shoes, probably pulled under the ice and swept away by the current! And you honestly thought it was a good idea to cross the river by hoof when you have this whole 'celestial aura' thing going on? A river, might I add, that was frozen solid when I flew over earlier?"

Luna gazed at her sister expectantly. They now stood at the edge of the river in question, the current moving fast and strongly. Looking down at the river bank, Luna could have sworn she saw greenery poking out of the snow.

"Sister," Celestia began. "Do you believe me to be such a simpleton? I did not fall through the ice. I crossed on the natural stepping stones over there." Luna searched for a moment, then spotted a few sharp-edged boulders peeking above the current, several pony-lengths apart.

Celestia sighed, then continued, "How could I resist? They were just like the ones we used to skip across in the pond at the old castle. Do you remember?"

Luna knew immediately what Celestia was referencing. The pond and the surrounding landscape flashed through her mind. Luna sank down into the snow, suddenly weary. She told herself it was because she was up way past her bedtime. Luna pawed at the ground and attempted to speak, but a lump had formed in her throat. Swallowing, she replied, "Yes, too few and far too wide apart. I did not think you would remember something that is so-was so!… so long ago." Luna winced at her stuttering. She had stopped herself from saying something that would let on to her internal dilemma. Her sister need not know how she clung to those memories of better times, to see just how pitiful she was. She immediately regretted coming on this trip.

Celestia drew nearer, frowning. She saw through her. "Luna, you do know how much I love you and how I cherished our childhood, don't you? Not a day passes by without me remembering the little things that you and I did together. Those memories bore me through my time of grief, our time of separation. Holding on to good memories is nothing to be ashamed of, and now we can make more together. You are not alone, not anymore." Celestia did not miss the flinch. Luna looked away. The rush of the river filled the silence. "Luna, don't you trust me? I know that it has not been an easy adjustment for you, coming home. Do not tell me that everything is fine."

The conversation was bordering on a dangerous topic, one that Luna was not ready to address yet. She had not realized that the cold had left her until it returned to her chest, intense and unforgiving. Memories of countless nights alone in a frozen wasteland surfaced, and thoughts of what was and what could have been began to fill her mind-_No! I will not go there, not today. There will be plenty of time for self-loathing later. _Luna shook her head. _Celestia has suffered enough already. Today is a day for relaxation and winter fun! I must see to the plan's fruition. _Yet as Luna took stock of her situation, she felt conflicted. She grabbed a stick and began to draw circles in the snow.

Celestia stooped down and touched a wing to Luna's back. Luna had been quiet too long. "Luna," Celestia began to speak, concerned.

As the warmth from Celestia's aura began to envelop her, Luna made up her mind. In one swift motion, she spread her wings and leapt to her hooves. "Let us not discuss this heavy subject now, dear sister, but instead enjoy your glorious Day. Now is the time for laughter and fun!" Luna attempted to smile; it did not reach her eyes.

Celestia's face clouded over and her mouth opened slightly. A tense moment passed, but then her eyes softened and she acquiesced, "Okay, Luna. As you wish." Luna relaxed.

"But first," Celestia continued, "You must promise me that we will discuss this, and soon. Perhaps when we return to Canterlot. Scratch that, _before_ we return. We cannot continue like this, little sister. It is too easy to go back to our old ways. And you and I both know how that ended." Celestia gave Luna a hard look. Luna let out a humorless laugh, a faraway look in her eyes. Celestia cleared her throat. "So Luna, what say you?"

Luna snapped her attention back to Celestia. "Well… fair enough, I suppose. Though I highly doubt one afternoon will be enough to cover 1,000 years." She smiled faintly.

Celestia returned her smile. "Of course it won't be, Luna, but it will be a good start." She shifted her weight. An awkward moment passed.

"Now then," Luna broke the silence, "Let us find your other shoes. Considering that they are made out of gold, we do not want to leave them behind. It would be just our luck that a mountaineer stumbles across your gold horseshoes and makes a fortune selling them. Imagine what a hay day the papers would have with a story like that!"

Celestia shook her head with a frown. "Ugh, I can see the headlines now. They'd blow it out of proportion and make it into a huge scandal for sure, as if there's nothing better to report on!"

"There would be protests for sure." Luna laughed humorlessly. "At least that's one thing that has stayed the same. No matter which century, the press will find fault with the crown." She shook her head. "So with that in mind," Luna continued, "Where did you last see your shoes?"

"You know, I believe I actually left them on the stepping stones. I had wanted to feel the ice with my hooves." Celestia kicked the melting snow that was by her hooves.

"Ah-ha! So you were being a simpleton! I bet the river would still be frozen if you hadn't touched it. Your 'celestial aura' has no regard for nature. Tell me truthfully, did you fall in?"

"I have wings, remember? Or did you forget?"

"Ha ha, very funny. I also have wings-," Luna flapped her wings and rose into the air. "-And I shall retrieve them!" She flew a good distance away to the middle of the river and alighted on one of the boulders. The first thing she noted was that they were _not_ just like the ones at the old castle. They were quite a bit larger than they had appeared from her previous vantage point, and looking back toward the bank Celestia was no larger than a mouse. Luna smirked at the comparison. She searched for the shoes, but they were not there. She immediately moved on to the next, determined to find them and get Celestia back to the clearing. The fun must continue, after all.

"Luna, do you see them?" Celestia called. Her question was almost inaudible over the sound of the river.

"Not yet!" Luna called back. She muttered to herself, "Where are they?"

She found them on the third boulder, bent and shimmied into a crevice. Luna would have overlooked them if the sun hadn't caught them at just the right angle.

"Yes, I've found them!" Her celebration was cut short when she realized there were only two shoes. "Hey Celestia! There are only two here! Where is the other one?"As she was speaking, a loud growl filled the air. Luna whipped her head around just as the river erupted. Everything was a blur as the water surrounding her shot up toward the sky, then the boulder underneath her shifted and Luna fell on her side. Black scaly claws appeared from the depths, reaching for her.

"LUNA!" Celestia cried. "TELEPORT!" Before she could respond, Luna was pulled under.

The world had gone quiet for Luna, a dull ringing filling her ears. Initially she had felt shockingly cold, but now the only thing she could feel was something strong and inescapable holding her down. She struggled against it but Luna grew weaker and weaker. A muffled shout sounded from somewhere and the restraints disappeared. She opened her eyes to an incomprehensible sight. She couldn't tell up from down.

_What is going on?_ For a moment Luna floated there, trying to remember, then the pain registered. Her lungs screamed for air and Luna finally realized she was underwater. A simple spell aided in her escape from a watery grave and she broke through the surface, coughing violently. Her hearing returned to her. "-LEPORT NOW LUNA! GET AWAY!" Something large was coming toward her-! Luna disappeared in a bright flash.


End file.
